The Society for Cardiological Science and Technology

Please find below questions which have been put to the Society in recent months along with the answers. They have been divided up into four subject headings. Please read the FAQs in the heading or all on this page. Click here on the headings to go to that section. Careers  Membership  Examinations  Scientific  General There are also further more educational FAQs on the Education pages.

Careers Questions

Q1 I was reading the website of the SCST and I am very keen to develop a career as a CCSO/Cardiac Physiologist. Is it possible for you to give me a tour and insight into the job?.

A1 The first thing to do is to read the careers information on this site, access the home page (click on the logo). After that if you are still interested then it would be a good idea to contact the Cardiology Department at your local hospital. Speak to the Head of Department and ask if it is possible to arrange a visit. If your local department is small or does not undertake training then ask for details of the nearest large centre and contact them to arrange a visit. Employment and educational requirements are different in the UK and Eire. In the UK, staff will require State Registration by 2005. This will consolidate educational requirements for Cardiac Physiologists, who will require a degree in Clinical Physiology. Commonly students are employed within a department and attend University on a block release basis. There are, however, some full time courses available and these are currently running in Leeds, Swansea and Belfast.

Q2 I have been looking on the NHS website and am interested in training to become a Cardiological Technician/ cardiac scientific officer. I am e-mailing to see if you can give me more information on my following questions:
Q2a- Is there any difference between these two occupations?

A2 A2a There is no difference between the two titles and the now widely accepted and the State Registerable title of Clinical Physiologist, which will be used in cardiology as Cardiac Physiologist. The other titles are legacies from past titles.

Q2b- What does each occupation entail?

A2b This is a single occupation, please refer to the careers information on this website

Q2c- How do I find out about relevant training courses in my area?

A2c Contact your local cardiac department for this information. Many hospitals' websites are available from the links page of this website. You can also look on the RCCP web site for accredited courses in Clinical Physiology – www.rccp.co.uk

Q2c - What do the training courses entail?

A2c See the answer above in A1.

Q3 I am a non UK BSc holder in Physics and a Diploma Holder in Cardio-Vascular Technology. .I have a working experience of five years in the same field. I am capable of doing all non-invasive diagnostic tests in cardiology like ECG, SAECG, TMT and Echocardiography. In Cath Lab I do the Physiological Monitoring during procedures like Angioplasty, Angiography, Rt Ht Cath, Lt Ht Cath and BMV. I don't have exposure in electrophysiology. I would like to know whether my degree can be evaluated by you. or can you give the address of any body which does the evaluation of foreign degrees. If you need any additional information kindly let me know.

A3 This is a difficult one to answer as degrees may have the same title but the content may be very different. At present UK staff are submitting their application forms to the Voluntary Register held by the Registration Council for Clinical Physiology. This is a precursor to State Registration which will take place in 2005. SCST understands that the evaluation process of someone's education and career to date is performed by RCCP. It would be better to submit your query to RCCP. (www.rccp.co.uk)

Q4 I am interested in the training for the MTO. Would it be possible for you to send me some information about the training for the MTO, I would be grateful if you could send me some detailed information to my e-mail or to my home address ,

A4 MTO (Medical Technical Officer) is a pay grade and not a profession. A wide range of professions are paid on this scale – for example pharmacy technicians, animal house technicians and cardiac physiologists. As you have found the SCST web site we may assume that you may be interested in a career in cardiology. Please refer to the answers given above in questions 1 and 2.

Membership Questions

Q1 I would like to join the Society, how is this done. I have never been a member before.

A1 Go to the membership page of this website and select the new member form. It is in Adobe pdf format so you will need Adobe Acrobat reader installed on your machine. The form does need to be completed manually then posted to SCST Administration whose address is on the form. Don't forget to include your cheque in pounds sterling (GBP). Please do not send cash. We do not accept payment in euros. If you do not have access to the internet or cannot download the form please put your request for a form in writing to SCST Administration, clearly stating the address to which you want it sent.
SCST Administration
c/o EBS Ltd Suite 4 Sovereign House
Gate Lane
Boldmere, Sutton Coldfield
Birmingham B73 5TT

Q2 I would like to rejoin the Society (I have previously been registered as a member before)

A2 Go to the membership page of this website and select the renewal form. It is in Adobe pdf format so you will need Adobe Acrobat reader installed on your machine. The form does need to be completed manually then posted to SCST Administration whose address is on the form. Include as much information as possible to help the Registrar find your old records, such as change of name(s) and addresses. Don't forget to include your cheque in pounds sterling (GBP) for the current amount. Please do not send cash. We do not accept payment in euros. If you do not have access to the internet or cannot download the form please put your request for a form in writing to SCST Administration, clearly stating the address to which you want it sent.
SCST Administration
c/o EBS Ltd Suite 4 Sovereign House
Gate Lane
Boldmere, Sutton Coldfield
Birmingham B73 5TT

Q3 I would like to join the Society but I am a long serving member of the profession, what do I do?

A3 Any member of the profession that does not have a Society qualification can join the Society as a student member and receive Update to keep them in touch with what is going on. Follow the procedure detailed above. It is open to any member to sit the examinations if they wish. It may be appropriate to call the Registrar (01246 512138) enquire about the APEL process for ASCST which is available to long serving colleagues. There is a cost attached to this, which is waived for anyone willing to subsequently act as a Society examiner. If you would like to sit the Membership exam but believe that you could not and cannot sit ASCST Parts I and II, you can apply for affiliateship. You need to send your full CV and a letter explaining why you have been unable to sit ASCST exams to the Credentials Committee, c/o Mrs. G McClintock, Secretary to Council, Cardiac Investigation Unit, 1North, Craigavon Area Hospital, 68 Lurgen Road, Portadown, BT63 5QQ.

Q4 Can you tell me the reason for the increase in membership fees for 2005. If I do not re-register this year will it affect my qualifications?

A4 Membership fees for all members were increased for 2005 at the Special General Meeting held in November 2004.

To answer many questions on what does the SCST do with the membership fee an explanation is given here. This was a response to the above question and does not give an exhaustive answer to every activity the SCST is involved with.

The membership fee covers all the functions of the Society. For some years we received some support from the British Cardiac Society and considerable income from the advertising in SCST Jobfinder. However job adverts can now be placed in NHS publications and web sites free of charge and therefore the revenue generated has fallen. You may be unaware of the very many functions that SCST undertakes on the memberships behalf. I have therefore tried to provide a flavour of all that the membership fees supports.
 
From the membership fee SCST pay for each member to be a member of the Institute of Physiological Scientists - £3 (IPS pay £1 per head to the Federation of Healthcare Scientists) The membership fee also meets the travel cost for one SCST member of Council to sit on IPS to represent our interests. At the moment the meetings are held in Birmingham the nearest member of Council to Birmingham is sent and therefore incurs the lowest costs. IPS and FHCS represent all the disciplines encompassed by physiological science in particular (IPS) and healthcare science in general (FHCS) at national level and on a whole variety of standing committees. This means that by being represented at IPS our voice is heard and we have the opportunity to comment on all major issues affecting the profession.

The membership fee pays for the travel cost of Council to meet 6 times per year. The meetings are limited to keep costs to a minimum but work goes on throughout the year. For example the team working on National Occupational Standards, the team working to produce all the national guidelines for cardiac procedures, work with the BCS on for example exercise testing guidelines when there is not a doctor present. British Cardiac Society Peer review teams all have a cardiac physiologist on them.

A large proportion of the membership fee pays for the administrator. Practitioners now are all too busy to be able to administer the applications for membership and exams efficiently. The administrator is a voice at the end of a phone all day every day whenever it is convenient for you to phone. She deals with all the degree student final examination, non degree examination applications and all membership applications and queries. She sends out all examination correspondence and updates personal member details accordingly. There are a vast number of enquiries each week on a huge range of subjects, the administrator deals with these or sends them to the appropriate person to reply.

Membership fees pay for stationery, phone bills, the website to be maintained and an e-mail line, postage, membership cards and badges.

It pays for us to submit detailed replies to documents sent to us for consultation.

It pays the travel expenses of the education committee, who set the examinations, print them, mark them and confirm passes and fails. It also funds meetings with HEIs to develop courses. Therefore over the last five years it has funded to members to sit on RCCP PBEC to develop the degree programme. It funded the costs of the group that put together the professional practice portfolio and the group currently working on fast track and MSc qualifications.

The audited accounts are also published each year and detail how the expenditure is broken down. They were published before the extraordinary general meeting in November and were explained along with the need for the increase, by the Treasurer at that meeting. No members of Council are paid but they do receive their travelling expenses and we do have representation from all four home countries to ensure equity.

If you choose not to rejoin then you will still have your qualification. You will not be entitle to wear your badge if you have one, or to use the letters after your name as you will no longer be a member of any grade. Nor will you be entitled to the level of information that is provided for members. You will no longer be entitled to vote on issues where the Society is consulted as the voice of the profession. Your department receives Job Finder irrespective of membership within it. You will be entitled to take any further examinations that the Society runs and to attend meetings. The charge for meetings is usually higher for non-members (especially the BCS meeting). You do not have to be a member of a professional body to be state registered.

Membership currently stands at 1,305 as of January 2005

Examination Questions

Q1 I was hoping to sit the Membership of The Society For Cardiological Science and Technology exam and I would be grateful if you could e-mail me the syllabus or any details of the exam that you might have. I have completed ASCST Part 1 & 2.

A1 This examination has now ceased and the SCST is considering the future. This is due to the changing nature of the qualification levels in the UK. Any future information will be posted on the website under Education and News pages and will also be publicised in SCST Update.

Q2 If someone fails the NTAE PART 1 in November, can they resit the following June and do the PART 2 IN NOVEMBER after this?

A2 NTAE no longer exists presumably you mean ASCST Part I. If you fail any part of the examination in June you can re-sit in November and likewise if you fail in November you can re-sit in June. However, if you have to re-sit Part I in June you will not have results in time to allow you to enter to sit the Part II examination in September.

Q3 I undertook my ASCST Pt2 examination recently and have received my results. I find I was unsuccessful in the oral part of the examination. I would be grateful if you could review my results as I felt that I had performed well on the day.

A3 In the first instance it is not the policy of the SCST Education Committee to enter into correspondence about individual results. All SCST practical examinations are reviewed by two examiners and agreed with a senior examiner on the day. All results are then returned to the examination co-ordinator who checks all marks before they are ratified by the Education Committee at its next meeting. This is a similar process to University examination boards. In some borderline cases papers may be re-reviewed and may be looked at in conjunction with oral marks.

Q4 I want to enter the SCST examination process. I am currently employed as a Trainee Clinical Physiologist, Cardiac Clinical Scientific Officer, Technician in a Cardiology Department in the United Kingdom. How do I enter for the exams and when are they?

A4 In the first instance, if you are employed as a trainee and have embarked on a course leading to the award of a Clinical Physiology degree you do not need to do anything. The University will enter all registered University students on an accredited Clinical Physiology course in Cardiology for their professional body examinations.
If you are not on a course then you will need to register as a member of the Society. You will find an application elsewhere on the web site. Once registered you will receive a copy of our monthly magazine, Update. Application for the examinations is advertised in Update along with application forms. The major examinations for non degree students take place in June and September. Please read the guidance notes carefully.

Q5 I am employed in the Irish Republic as a Cardiac Technician and need to pass the ASCST Pts 1 & 2 before I can get a substantive post. When are the next examinations I can enter?

A5 The examinations are run simultaneously at sites throughout the UK. Generally the examinations are run in Chesterfield, Oxford, Glasgow and Belfast depending upon numbers entering. The Part 1 exams are generally held on the last Saturday of June and the second Saturday of November. The Part 2 examinations are run on the 3rd Saturday in September. Application forms are available in SCST Update, which is mailed out to all members. Generally the application forms will appear 3 months before the examination and the closing dates are usually, 31^st March, 30^th September and 31^st July respectively. Please also look at the examinations page of this website.

Q6 I am having difficulty getting funding to take the examinations and the hospital's finance office will be late getting a cheque to SCST for my examination fees.

A6 Sitting professional examination is your individual responsibility. Even if your department has agreed to pay your fees. Our closing dates for the examinations are rigid. You may have heard of flexible arrangements in the past but due to the increase in examinations and the numbers taking them it is now impossible to be flexible. The closing date is already set as close to the examination as possible to allow time for the production of the papers, preparation of the centre and notification of examiners. Applications and payment must be with the examination registrar on or before the closing date published.

Q7 When are the closing dates for the examinations?

A7 These are published on the application forms for the appropriate examination and are printed as inserts in SCST Update 2-3 months before the examination. Degree students will have arrangements made by their Universities and should NOT enter for the examinations themselves. For non degree students and cardiographers the closing dates for ASCST Part I and Certificate in electrocardiography are usually 31^st March and 30^th September. For ASCST Part II it is usually 31^st July.

Q8 Why cannot I apply for the examinations on-line or download the application form?

A8 The application forms are now available to download from the web site. However dates will still need to be strictly adhered to. The Society is not able to process applications for examinations in advance of the published dates. Forms cannot be sent electronically as payment is required with the application. Once again we do not have the resources to accept payment by credit card electronically.

Q9 I am a member of the profession and I would like to be an examiner for the examinations.

A9 In the first instance you must be a current member of the Society who holds the ASCST and has considerable experience. If you have the experience but do not hold ASCST it may be possible to apply for APEL if you are prepared to commit to becoming an examiner.
You should send your C.V. to the Registrar at: Cardio-respiratory Department, Chesterfield Royal Hospital, Calow, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S44 5BL. You will need to attend a New Examiners workshop and be available to examine on at least 2 Saturdays per year. For further information go to the examinations page on this web site and look up the examiner information.

Q10 I am a Cardiac Technician in a Hospital in the Irish Republic and I was wondering if it is definite the MSCST exam is not going ahead this year, 2004.

A10 Yes it is. Re-sits only in 2004.

Q11 I would like to ask a question of the education committee. I have a student who was previously an ATO . They passed the Certificate in Electrocardiography this June. They are planning to take ASCST Part 1 next year. Would they have to take the practical exam again or could they be exempt from this part?

A11 The principle was established in 2000 that anyone converting from Certificate in Electrocardiography to ASCST Part I did not have to sit the practical again. They will have to sit the written papers.

Technical Questions

Q24 I am a student doing a modern apprenticeship in Clinical Physiology.  As part of my course, I am doing an assignment which requires me to comment on the circumstances in which I would use the filter on an ECG machine, with reference to SCST guidelines.  I have been unable to find any of these guidelines and was wondering if they exist, and if so, how I might get hold of them.  Can you shed any light on this?

A24 If you look at the Society's website on www.scst.org.uk and look in reference documents there is a paper by Coleman and MacFarlane. There are many references in this paper. Other than that I guess you need to use a current text.

General

A1 Please have a look at our journal page of this website. Details of the Editor and costs are displayed there together with copy dates. Please contact the Editor and they will be pleased to forward you a copy of a recent edition.

Q3 I am a Georgian medical student and I'm interested in cardiac surgery. there are very good symposia in UK in this field but I couldn't find travel opportunities for participation. The conference organisers usually do not have the travel grants. Maybe the Society for Cardiological Science and Technology has travel grants for east European scientists or maybe you can inform me which organisation in the UK can offer me such travel grants?